Japan’s Amano elected head of UN nuclear watchdog Japanese diplomat Yukiya Amano was elected the next head of the U.N. atomic watchdog on Thursday and he vowed to tackle rich-poor tensions weakening the fight against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Reuters/ AP/ AFP/ NYT

Japan’s Amano ‘very pleased’ at IAEA election Japanese candidate Yukiya Amano said Thursday he was ‘very pleased’ after he won the race to head the International Atomic Energy Agency. AFP

Japan happy that Amano elected next IAEA chief, vows backup Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said Friday he was happy that Yukio Amano was elected as next director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency and vowed to offer backup to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Kyodo/ Al-Jazeera

Other Nuclear News

Germany’s Merkel Wants Strong G8 Message to Iran German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday she wanted next week’s G8 summit to send a strong signal to Iran, but also stressed it was important to keep open the possibility of talks on its nuclear program. Reuters

Obama keeps door open for NKorean nuclear talks President Barack Obama says the United States is trying to “keep a door open” for North Korea to return to international nuclear disarmament talks, even as Washington pursues sanctions against the North. AP/ AP

North Korea Test-Fires 4 Short-Range Missiles North Korea test-fired four short-range missiles into the sea that lies between it and Japan on Thursday, amid simmering tensions over the latest international sanctions against the Communist state, according to news reports and a spokesman for the South Korean government. AP

Spain reprieves ageing plant in sign of rethink Spain’s Socialist government, yielding to intense pressure from electricity companies, local authorities and employees at risk of redundancy, yesterday granted a four-year reprieve to the country’s oldest commercial nuclear power plant despite an election promise to start winding down the nuclear industry. FT

Legacy of the Chernobyl disaster Exposure to radiation in an incident like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster ruins the health of several generations of people, not just those who lived in the vicinity at the time. The Guardian

Opinion and Analysis

Pyongyang Pressure Points WSJ

Spaniard knocked out at start of IAEA leader vote A Spanish nuclear power expert was knocked out in an initial round of voting for a new chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Thursday, narrowing the field to two IAEA diplomats, officials said. Reuters

IAEA set to vote for new boss The board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency is set to meet for a formal vote on the successor to Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the agency. Al-Jazeera/ Reuters

Blake outlines roadmap for India-US ties Security, defence, civil nuclear cooperation and space will drive the agenda between India and the US in the foreseeable future. At a time when analysts are predicting a “dip” in India-US ties after the high of the Bush years, a senior US official set out a “roadmap” for the two countries, which will be fleshed out by Hillary Clinton, secretary of state, during her visit here later this month. The Times of India

ElBaradei to visit Belgrade The Ministry of Science and Technological Development stated today that general director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed ElBaradei will visit Belgrade on July 3. Empor

Other Nuclear News

‘Interference’ rules EU out of nuclear talks, says Iran Iran yesterday ratcheted up the pressure on the European Union, warning the 27-nation bloc, which it accuses of meddling in its disputed election, that it was no longer qualified to hold talks on the Islamic republic’s nuclear programme. FT/ AP

Obama to focus on Iran during trip to Russia, G8 summit Responding to Iran’s political crackdown and nuclear programme will be “at front and centre” of President Barack Obama’s visit to Russia and the G8 summit in Italy next week, a US official said. AFP

FBI: Saddam told us he lied about having nukes to deter Iran Saddam Hussein believed Iran was a significant threat to Iraq and left open the possibility that he had weapons of mass destruction rather than appear vulnerable, according to declassified FBI documents on interrogations of the former Iraqi leader Reuters

Hopes For Nuclear Breakthrough on Obama Moscow Trip Hopes are rising on both sides that President Barack Obama’s visit to Moscow next week will produce a breakthrough in talks on cutting U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons and on helping Washington in Afghanistan. Reuters

Opinion and Analysis

Row over nuclear fuel bank awaits new IAEA chief Reuters

China is the key to North Korea LATimes

Ex-Slovenian envoy bows out of IAEA leadership race A top Slovenian judge dropped out of the race to succeed U.N. nuclear agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei on Tuesday, two days ahead of an election diplomats fear could be inconclusive like an earlier vote in March. Reuters/ Reuters

Planned shredding of nuclear papers “illegal” A parliamentary control delegation has rejected plans by the cabinet to destroy sensitive documents related to an international nuclear smuggling ring. Swiss Info

Last quantities of highly enriched Romanian uranium transported to Russia The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced Tuesday the evacuation from Romania of the last shipment of Russian-origin highly enriched uranium, following the U.S. administration commitment to secure in four years the hazardous nuclear material in the world. Curierul National/ NYTimes

French state nuclear giant Areva invites new investors French state-controlled nuclear giant Areva said Tuesday it was opening its capital to new investors and would sell a subsidiary to raise money for massive investments in new nuclear technology. AFP

Other Nuclear News

U.S. Targets North Korea’s Missile, Nuclear Activities The United States said on Tuesday it had cracked down on companies involved in North Korea’s suspected missile proliferation and in purchases of equipment that could be used in a nuclear weapons program. Reuters

Aso Calls for Pressure on North Korea, Criticizes DPJ Japan’s Prime Minister Taro Aso said the international community needs to put “strong pressure” on North Korea to persuade the communist country to abandon its nuclear weapons program. Bloomberg

U.S. and Russia Seek More Extensive Weapons Cuts The U.S. and Russia are expected to launch new talks aimed at reducing the number of strategic and other nuclear weapons on both sides, a senior Obama administration official said Tuesday, in an ambitious effort that could help ease bilateral tensions over other issues as well. WSJ

UK regulator raises French nuclear concerns French plans to lead a nuclear power renaissance in Britain have been dealt a major blow after regulators warned of serious reservations about the safety of the reactor technology earmarked for use. The Times

France offers to build nuke plant in Malaysia France has offered to help Malaysia build its first nuclear power plant as an alternative source of energy supply, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin The Star

French radioactive waste to double by 2030 France’s highly radioactive waste will more than double by 2030 mainly as spent fuel derived from nuclear reactors mounts up, the French national radioactive waste management agency (Andra) said on Tuesday. Reuters

France Votes to Pay Nuclear-Testing Victims After nearly 40 years of denial, France is finally taking responsibility for the health consequences of its nuclear-testing program — although too late for those who died over the decades after having served France’s strategic interests. TIME

Opinion and Analysis

How to Stop North Korea’s Weapons Proliferation WSJ

Secret deal on nukes Asahi Shimbun

Election row hits Iran nuclear talks Prospects for negotiations over Iran’s nuclear activities appear bleak after the reassertion of power by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. BBC

Safety Of Canada’s Nuclear Reactors In Question Because Of Design Feature Canada’s seven nuclear stations which use Candu technology have a positive reactivity feedback design feature which may lead to dangerous power pulses in the event of a major accident. AHN

Other Nuclear News

North Korea Trying to Enrich Uranium, South Says North Korea appears to be enriching uranium, potentially giving the state that tested a plutonium-based nuclear device in May another path for making atomic weapons, South Korea’s defense minister said on Tuesday. Reuters

Berlusconi says G8 sanctions likely against Iran The Group of Eight wealthy powers are likely to agree to adopt sanctions against Iran when they meet in Italy next week, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said on Monday. Reuters

Group offers plan to eliminate nukes by 2030 A group committed to eliminating nuclear weapons presented on Monday a four-step plan to achieve that goal by 2030, while acknowledging that Iran could be a “show stopper.” AP

Central Asians seek help to clear Cold War waste Four Central Asian countries called on Monday for international help from governments and business in clearing toxic nuclear waste left over from the Cold War when they formed part of the Soviet Union. Reuters

Re-think urged on UK nuclear deterrent The Government was today facing renewed pressure to re-think its decision to update its Trident nuclear deterrent in the face of growing cost pressures on the defence budget. The Independent

Should renewable energy include nuclear? The US, China, and dozens of other countries are meeting today in Egypt to chart the course of a new international agency aimed at promoting renewable energy. CSMonitor

Opinion and Analysis

Sanctions on Iran: Will Europe Act? NYT

Analysis: Grim Chinese views of North Korea suggest rethink Reuters

Serbs send nuclear fuel to Russia, citing security Serbia plans to ship thousands of kilograms of spent nuclear fuel to Russia as it seeks to avert security threats and decommission a research reactor, a government official said on Tuesday. Reuters

Ukrainian, Russian atomic scientists to create joint base of programs for repair staff training Ukrainian and Russian atomic scientists plan to create a joint electronic base of programs for repair staff training, along with educational materials and a joint electronic document database, the press service of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom said in a press release issued on Tuesday. Interfax Ukraine

Middle Eastern countries strengthen nuclear ties Recent days have seen diplomats from Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait strengthening their ties with established nuclear power countries as they move towards setting up their own nuclear programs. WNN

Other Nuclear News

China Says North Korea A “Serious Concern” China shares the region’s “serious concerns” about a nuclear North Korea and urged all parties to keep negotiating, a senior Chinese military officer said Wednesday after talks with Pentagon officials Reuters

SKorea to boost defences against NKorea’s nukes South Korea’s military will strengthen defences against any North Korean nuclear attack after its neighbour tested an atomic weapon last month for the second time, reports said Wednesday. AFP

Israeli minister presses Canada to take tougher stand with Iran Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman continued his push for Western nations to prepare to impose tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program as he met in Ottawa with Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon. The Globe and Mail

US-Russian progress in nuclear arms reduction talks The United States said Tuesday it has made progress in its negotiations with Russia toward forging a successor to a Cold War-era treaty to cut nuclear weapons arsenals. AFP

SAfrica sees first pebble nuclear reactor by 2018 South African nuclear technology firm PBMR plans to have its first 80 megawatt (MW) power and heat processing plant based on its pebble-fuel technology by 2018, a company official said. Reuters

Nuclear-plant workers face elevated cancer risk: report. Those working in, and living near, nuclear-power plants - such as the one being considered for construction in Saskatchewan - are more likely than the general population to develop cancer or die from it, according to a research paper being released Tuesday. Canwest News

War Book reveals how Britain planned to cope with nuclear attack New details of how Britain would have been governed in the event of a nuclear war from the 1960s into the 1990s have been disclosed with the publication of the secret War Book. The Guardian

German kids’ “power station” sparks radiation alert A toy nuclear power plant built by two six year-olds sparked a public alert in Germany, only for authorities to discover the would-be security threat was the shell of a computer with a radiation warning sign stuck to it. Reuters

Opinion and Analysis

Analysis: Iran Nuclear concerns weigh heavy on US AP

Hide and Seek NYT

A global nuclear disorder The Jakarta Post

The New Nuclear Revolution WSJ

Testing times for nuclear watchdog From his comfortable office in the sprawling UN complex in Vienna, the Austrian capital, Mohammed ElBaradei runs the world’s nuclear watchdog. Aljazeera

IAEA in the News

Boost in IAEA Intelligence Capability Looks Unlikely in Near Term A former U.S. official’s concept for expanding intelligence functions at the International Atomic Energy Agency is garnering some interest but appears unlikely to be implemented anytime soon, according to several nonproliferation experts GSN

U.S. Keeps Close Eye On North Korean Ship The Pentagon continues to trail a North Korean cargo ship believed headed toward Myanmar, in part because U.S. officials worry that Pyongyang plans to transfer major weapons systems and possibly nuclear technologies to the repressive Southeast Asian country, current and former U.S. officials said. WSJ

Medvedev visits Namibia with eye on uranium Uranium deposits in Namibia’s deserts, which could make the country a top producer of the nuclear fuel, are drawing growing foreign interest, seen in this week’s visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. AFP

UAE, S.Korea sign nuclear cooperation pact The United Arab Emirates signed a nuclear cooperation agreement with South Korea on Monday to allow the transfer of technology and equipment to the Gulf Arab state, the official WAM news agency said. Reuters

First transport of metallic compacted waste from France to the Netherlands A cask containing compacted metallic waste was shipped on June 15 from the TN International’s railway terminal in Valognes (France) to the COVRA storage facility near Borssele (Netherlands), Areva reports. Nuclear Engineering

Other Nuclear News

US Defense Official to Hold Talks in Beijing A U.S. Defense Department official is headed to Beijing for talks amid ongoing tensions in the region over North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programs. AP

Son of shah says protesters defeat could lead to nuclear war The exiled son of the late shah of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, warned Monday of dire consequences for the volatile Middle East and the rest of the world if the popular uprising in Iran is crushed. AFP

Russian, US negotiators line up for arms control talks US and Russian negotiators arrived in Geneva on Monday ready to resume talks on cutting their nuclear weapons arsenals, diplomats said. AFP

Abolishing nuclear weapons a slow process, says Evans An Australian-driven commission aimed at promoting global debate about nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation has wrapped up a three-day meeting in Moscow. ABC News

Britain, Jordan sign nuclear pact Britain and Jordan signed a nuclear cooperation pact here Monday, with Foreign Secretary David Miliband hailing the country’s “transparent” approach to developing nuclear energy. AFP

A balance of nuclear power for Germany Germany’s economy minister has said that nuclear power plants should operate for longer until favoured renewable technologies are ready to deliver. WNN

Japan denies sea borders were drawn to allow US nuke ships Japan’s foreign minister on Monday denied a report that it had demarcated its territorial waters so as to avoid disputes over the movement of US warships carrying nuclear weapons. AFP

A shift in Iran would not change nuclear policy The widespread protests in Iran, even in the improbable event they deliver presidential challenger Mir-Hossein Mousavi to power, are unlikely to dramatically change the country’s nuclear ambitions or the strategic complications the West faces in countering Tehran’s political gambits across the Middle East. LA Times

Philippines to seek Japan help in fixing nuke plant A top Philippine government official said that one of President Gloria Arroyo’s key aims in her state visit to Japan was to secure technical assistance in reviving the country’s mothballed nuclear power plant in the province of Bataan. Gulf News

Other Nuclear News

N.Korea accuses Obama of nuclear war plot North Korea has accused US President Barack Obama of plotting a nuclear war on the communist nation by reaffirming a US assurance of security for South Korea, the North’s state media said. AFP/ AP

As Arms Meeting Looms, Russia Offers Carrot of Sharp Cuts President Dmitri A. Medvedev said Saturday that Russia was prepared to carry out significant reductions in its nuclear arsenal as part of its continuing arms control negotiations with the United States, which are to culminate here in a summit meeting with President Obama next month NYT

Al Qaeda Says Would Use Pakistani Nuclear Weapons If it were in a position to do so, Al Qaeda would use Pakistan’s nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States, a top leader of the group said in remarks aired Sunday. Reuters

Prairies’ reactor still years away It will be six to 12 years before the nuclear reactor Saskatchewan Premier Brad Wall is hoping to build is operational, but its proponents at the University of Saskatchewan say the province’s nuclear renaissance has been a long time coming. The Globe and Mail

Kuwait to hold nuclear talks with France’s Areva OPEC member Kuwait will hold nuclear power talks with France’s Areva sometime over the next few days, the economy minister of the European country said on Sunday. Reuters

New Detector Not Much Better Catching Nuke Matter Federal investigators say the government’s next generation radiation detectors are only marginally better at detecting hidden nuclear material than monitors already at U.S. ports, but would cost more than twice as much. AP

Opinion and Analysis

Striking right balance on Iran Chicago Tribune

Iran’s nuclear ambition: Clock is ticking Politico

Reuters: ElBaradei, Israel clash over Syria probe “bias” The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Thursday angrily rejected Israeli accusations of bias in a probe by his agency into allegations of a secret Syrian atomic site, calling Israel’s position “totally distorted.” Reuters/ BBC/ AFP/ DPA

Obama-backed nuclear fuel bank plan stalls at IAEA A uranium fuel supply plan hailed by U.S. President Barack Obama as a way to stem the spread of nuclear arms stalled in talks at the U.N. atomic watchdog on Thursday after resistance from developing nations. Reuters/ DPA/ AFP

Iraqi lawmakers press reparations claim for 1981 Israeli bombing A group of Iraqi lawmakers are determined to press forward with their demands for reparations for a 1981 Israeli attack on an Iraqi nuclear reactor, Baghdad’s daily al-Sabbah reported Thursday. DPA

Other Nuclear News

U.K.: We`ve frozen $1.6b in Iranian assets under nuclear sanctions Iranian assets of nearly one billion pounds’ ($1.64 billion) are frozen in Britain under international sanctions imposed over Tehran’s nuclear program, the British government said on Thursday. Reuters

Japan to help other countries develop nuclear power Japan launched an organisation on Thursday to help other countries promote nuclear power generation which is increasingly in demand in the age of global warming, officials said. AFP

Arms Talks Ahead Of Obama Visit “Constructive”: Russia Russia said on Thursday that talks with the United States on reducing vast arsenals of Cold War nuclear weapons were proceeding constructively ahead of a visit by U.S. President Barack Obama to Moscow in July. Reuters

Canada may open isotope project to private sector The Canadian government defended its decision to scrap the Maple isotope reactor project on Thursday, but left the door open for private groups to take over the mothballed nuclear program. Reuters

Nuclear nations rush to lock in uranium deals A global shift toward nuclear power is prompting countries to rush to lock in long-term access to tight supplies of uranium, and China and India look to be the next players to get in on the action. Reuters

WorleyParsons in nuclear deal with Egypt WorleyParsons will help deliver two new nuclear power plants in Egypt and Armenia, as the engineering company pursues growing interest in the contentious energy source. The Sydney Morning Herlad

Opinion and Analysis

Lee, Obama Have Few Tools for Nuclear-Free N. Korea The Korea Times

A nuclear-free world? Not yet. CSMonitor

Ending a dream, or nightmare The Economist

Iran seeking nuclear weapons technology - ElBaradei ElBaradei (…) gazing at Soltanieh in the 35-nation IAEA governors meeting, he said: “If you want to build confidence, you would do (wide-ranging snap inspections). You have to help me… (Otherwise), you are penalising yourself.” Reuters/ NYT

IAEA slams NKorean nuclear test North Korea came under heavy fire from the UN’s atomic watchdog Wednesday over the nuclear test it carried out last month. AFP/ VOA News

US says it will not accept NKorea as nuclear state The U.S. urged North Korea on Wednesday to stop its nuclear saber-rattling and negotiate with the world’s great powers, vowing that Washington would never accept Pyongyang as an atomic weapons state. AP

China and Russia pressure N Korea Russia and China have urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table over the future of its nuclear programmes. BBC

Iran denies using nukes as insurance Iran denied on Wednesday that it was seeking a nuclear weapon as an “insurance policy”, as suggested by the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei. AFP

Other Nuclear News

Clinton: US Intent on Direct Talks With Iran The Obama administration will pursue talks with Iran on nuclear and other issues regardless of who emerges as president in the aftermath of Iran’s disputed election, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Wednesday. AP

Egypt moves on gas and nuclear provisions Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has sent a bill to lawmakers on the regulation of nuclear activity. The measure is intended to fulfill Egyptian commitments to international regulatory agreements on the use of nuclear energy and the safe disposal of nuclear waste. UPI

Jordan and Britain to ink nuclear cooperation accord Jordan and Britain will on Monday sign an agreement for cooperation in peaceful uses of nuclear energy, Chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Khalid Touqan said Wednesday. DPA

Opinion and Analysis

The problem of proliferation The Guardian

Engage Iran, Not Ahmadinejad WP

With Iran, Think Before You Speak NYT

Tight-fisted donors “bastardizing” IAEA: ElBaradei Countries balking at raising the International Atomic Energy Agency’s budget have “bastardized” the U.N. watchdog to the point where it is struggling to combat growing proliferation threats, the IAEA chief said on Tuesday. Reuters/ AFP

Interview with IAEA DG ElBaradei - Iran ‘would like nuclear option’ The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency says he believes Iran is mastering nuclear technology and it wants the option of a nuclear weapon. Video BBC/ Audio BBC

Mossad: Iran will have nuclear bomb by 2014 Mossad Chief Meir Dagan warned on Tuesday that Iran was capable of developing and launching its first nuclear weapon by 2014. Haaretz

Syria dismisses IAEA concern on uranium trace Syria on Tuesday brushed off U.N. nuclear watchdog concerns over further traces of undeclared processed uranium found in the country, saying the agency was treating it unfairly. Reuters

World must increase sanctions against North Korea, Dutch say The international community should increase sanctions against North Korea, Dutch foreign affairs minister Maxime Verhagen said on Tuesday, in the wake of its nuclear bomb blast and missile-testing. Opening the 2009 Plenary Meeting of the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism in The Hague, Verhagen said “Pyongyang leaves the international community little choice but to put more pressure on the regime through new sanctions.” DPA

Japan to export its nuclear expertise An “all-star” public-private council will be created Thursday to provide Japanese expertise to countries planning to introduce nuclear power generation, officials said. Asahi Shimbun

Birth control to combat malaria Anopheles mosquitoes carry the parasite that causes malaria, a disease which kills around a million people every year. BBC/ BBC Video feature

A ‘time bomb’ for world wheat crop The Ug99 fungus, called stem rust, could wipe out more than 80% of the world’s wheat as it spreads from Africa, scientists fear. The race is on to breed resistant plants before it reaches the U.S. LATimes

Other Nuclear News

As North Korea Resists Sanctions, Obama Reassures South As new sanctions against North Korea take effect, President Obama said yesterday that he does not believe it is inevitable that the isolated communist nation “will or should be” designated a nuclear power. WP

Japan plans underwater sponges to soak up uranium Government-funded scientists have proposed placing huge “uranium farms” on the seabed, consisting of anchored sponges which soak up the element. The Telegraph

Funds to shut nuclear plants fall short The companies that own almost half the nation’s nuclear reactors are not setting aside enough money to dismantle them, and many may sit idle for decades and pose safety and security risks as a result, an Associated Press investigation has found. AP

Hamilton nuclear reactor could produce all isotopes Canada needs: Manager A research reactor at McMaster University in Hamilton could be producing all the medical isotopes Canada needs — and then some — in as little as 18 months, the manager of the facility told a House of Commons committee Tuesday. Canwest News Service

Opinion and Analysis

What ‘Engagement’ With Iran and North Korea Means NYT

Global Insights: International Nuclear Fuel Banks, the Pros and Cons World Politics View

Nuke agency head critical of NKorea, Iran Syria The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Monday told North Korea to end its course of nuclear confrontation. He also urged Iran to agree to Washington’s offer of direct dialogue and called on Syria to cooperate with his agency’s investigation. AP

N.Korea atom test wastes disarmament potential - IAEA A second nuclear test by North Korea has wasted a long-awaited chance for progress in global nuclear disarmament and rekindled a climate of confrontation, the head of the U.N. atomic watchdog said on Monday. Reuters

ElBaradei prods Iran not to ignore Obama overture The U.N. nuclear watchdog chief urged Iran Monday to meet a U.S. offer of unconditional talks with goodwill gestures including giving inspectors easier access to monitor its atomic program. Reuters

US urges Iran to accept invite to nuclear talks The United States urged Iran on Monday to agree to a meeting with the six key nations trying to ensure that its nuclear program is peaceful in which the U.S. will be “a full participant.” AP

Obama: Iranian voters’ voices should be heard With images of bloodied protesters in Tehran’s streets recalling the Islamic revolution 30 years ago, President Barack Obama said the world is inspired by the outpouring of Iranian political dissent. AP

Ahmadinejad Victory May Hamper Nuclear Talks, EU Says The re-election of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad may deal a blow to international efforts to resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, European Union officials said. Bloomberg

Gulf’s Push for Nuclear Experts May Delay U.K. Plans U.K. utilities risk falling behind with plans to build nuclear power plants because Middle East nations may use higher salaries to lure skilled workers, reactor builder Westinghouse Electric Co. said. Bloomberg

Nigeria, 16 others may turn to nuclear power plants NIGERIA and 16 other African countries may soon start power generation from nuclear plants, under a power base diversification programme being backed by the Austria-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The Guardian Nigeria

Other Nuclear News

North Koreans have made nuclear progress, experts say The U.S. intelligence community believes that North Korea tested a nuclear device last month with an explosive yield of several kilotons, considerably more powerful than its first test nearly three years ago. CNN

Lee and Obama to Discuss North Korean Threats As North Korea threatens nuclear war, President Barack Obama and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will be eager to show the North the unity of their alliance and a determination not to back down. AP

Japan decides on additional sanctions on N. Korea The Japanese government decided Tuesday to totally ban exports to North Korea and toughen restrictions on the flow of people as additional sanctions on Pyongyang in response to its nuclear test in May. Kyodo

Less Activity At North Korea Nuclear Sites - Russian Agency Russian reconnaissance has registered a fall in activity around North Korea nuclear sites in recent days, state-run Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported on Monday, citing a senior military source. Reuters

Isotope shortage a flashpoint at home, abroad With domestic pressure building for the United States to quit Canada’s erratic supply of medical isotopes, the Harper government today is to announce new funding for nuclear medicine, a day after the Liberals vowed to defeat it unless it reveals a plan to end the crisis. The Ottawa Citizen/ ABC News

Elements of 1960 CIA Report Hold True Today “We do not believe that Israel will embark on the development of nuclear weapons with the aim of actually starting a nuclear war,” reads the declassified 48-year-old CIA Special National Intelligence Estimate. WP

Opinion and Analysis

Does Obama still want to engage Iran? CSMonitor

Obama’s Iran Puzzle World View

IAEA Meets To Discuss Iran, Syria Nuclear Investigations The U.N. atomic watchdog convened its regular June board meeting here Monday, with Iran’s nuclear program expected to dominate following the country’s disputed presidential election. AFP

Nuclear terror would strain day-after bomb sleuths If the unthinkable happened, would we be left on the day after, as radioactive dust settled, with the unknowable? AP

Other Nuclear News

North Korea Says It Will Start Enriching Uranium North Korea adamantly denied for seven years that it had a program for making nuclear weapons from enriched uranium. But on Saturday, a few hours after the U.N. Security Council slapped it with tough new sanctions for detonating a second nuclear device, the government of Kim Jong Il changed its tune, vowing that it would start enriching uranium to make more nuclear weapons. WP

NKorea may have more nuclear test sites North Korea may have built more underground nuclear test sites in the northeastern district where it staged its first two tests, a news report has said. AFP

Biden: Important to Enforce NKorean Sanctions Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday committed the U.S. to enforcing new U.N. penalties against North Korea while acknowledging that ”God only knows” what ruler Kim Jong Il wants from the latest showdown. AP

SKorea’s Lee heads to US summit on NKorea nukes South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak has left for a US summit likely to be dominated by North Korea’s growing nuclear threat after it vowed to start a second programme to build atomic weapons. AFP

Biden Questions Vote but Sticks to Policy on Iran Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. cast doubt Sunday on the legitimacy of the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, but reaffirmed the administration’s intent to try to engage the Iranian government. NYT

EU urges renewed nuclear dialogue after vote The European Union expressed concern about alleged irregularities in Iran’s presidential election on Saturday, but said it hoped to resume dialogue with Tehran over its disputed nuclear programme. Reuters

Poll: Most Israelis could live with a nuclear Iran Only one in five Israeli Jews believes a nuclear-armed Iran would try to destroy Israel and most see life continuing as normal should their arch-foe get the bomb, an opinion poll published on Sunday found. Reuters

Trident contradicts UK non-proliferation stance The failure of the five recognised nuclear powers to make progress with disarmament is undermining prospects of containing the spread of atomic weapons around the world, MPs warned in a report published today. The Independent

Italy police seize radioactive fuel Police across Italy have seized 10,000 tons of wood fuel pellets contaminated by a radioactive substance, news reports say. AP

Opinion and Analysis

Will Sanctions Ever Work on North Korea? WP

Analysis: NKorean nuclear moves tied to succession AP

Toward a Nuclear North Korea The Korea Times

Q+A - What’s next for Iran nuclear drive after Ahmadinejad win Reuters

Nuclear weapons debate takes new form The Boston Globe

“Independence is the key” In an interview with Gudrun Harrer, the Egyptian lawyer speaks about the challenges for the Agency and the hopes for change in the Middle East inspired by US President Barack Obama. Der Standard

IAEA in the News

Sources: Iran denies UN nuke agency camera request Iran has rebuffed a bid from the U.N. nuclear monitoring agency to beef up its monitoring ability at an important atomic site as it tries to keep track of the country’s rapidly growing uranium enrichment capabilities, diplomats said Thursday. AP

Mousavi win wouldn’t stop Iran’s nuke drive, Israel warns As more than 46.2 million eligible Iranian voters choose their president in elections on Friday, senior Israeli defense officials who closely watch Iran stress that the outcome is unlikely to have any impact on Teheran’s continued race toward nuclear power. Jerusalem Post

Four turbulent years of Ahmadinejad presidency Here are key dates in the Iranian presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is running for a second term against three challengers in Friday’s presidential election. AFP

Iranian Elections Could Shape U.S. Engagement Washington is waiting anxiously on the outcome of Friday’s Iranian presidential elections, as incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad attempts to fend off challenger Mir Hossein Mousavi in a contest with significant implications for the diplomatic atmosphere between Iran and the U.S. AINA

Other Nuclear News

Value of N. Korea Sanctions Disputed As the United Nations moves this week to sanction North Korea for its second nuclear test, there is strong evidence that a previous international squeeze did not work. Washington Post

Security Council set to adopt expanded North Korea sanctions The UN Security Council was expected Friday to adopt tougher sanctions targeting North Korea’s atomic and ballistic missile programmes in response to the Stalinist state’s nuclear defiance. AFP

N. Korea may be preparing for new nuclear test The official, who is not authorized to speak on the record, told CNN that Washington has “indications” that North Korea may be planning another test, which would be its third since 2006. CNN

Quebec cancels thousands of tests over isotope shortage As many as 12,000 Quebecers have had their cancer and cardiac tests put off because of a shortage of medical isotopes, the province’s top nuclear medicine specialist said Thursday. Montreal Gazette

Spain facing key decision on use of nuclear power The Spanish government will have to take a clear stand for or against nuclear power in the coming weeks when it decides whether to renew the operating licence of the oldest of the country’s six nuclear plants. AFP

Wash. nuclear site stung by radioactive wasp nests If workers cleaning up the nation’s most contaminated nuclear site didn’t have enough to worry about, now they’ve got to deal with radioactive wasp nests. AP

Nuclear disaster averted by dirty laundry A radioactive leak that could have caused Britain’s worst nuclear disaster was only averted when a worker in an adjoining room spotted water as he sorted laundry, according to a newly-obtained official report. Telegraph

Opinion and Analysis

Iran’s nuclear work will go on CNN

Will Syria play key role in Obama’s Mideast peace efforts? Christian Science Monitor

Overblown Foreign Affairs

Letter From Tel Aviv: Netanyahu’s Iranian Dilemma Foreign Affairs

The race for cheerleader-in-chief Inter Press Service

North Korea Could Face New Round of Sanctions The Security Council’s five permanent members agreed on Wednesday on a draft resolution that would ratchet up sanctions against North Korea by concentrating on its financial transactions and its arms industry, including allowing for inspections of its cargo vessels on the high seas. New York Times Text of Draft Resolution New York Times

Russia Agrees to Take Nuclear Waste From Serbia Russia agreed Wednesday to take 3 metric tons of spent fuel from a closed Serbian nuclear reactor to ensure the radioactive waste does not end up in terrorist hands, officials said. AP

Safety at Center of Nuclear Power Operations Worldwide This first segment in a multi-part series explains that tragic accidents have driven a focus on safety at nuclear power plants. VOA News/ Video

Iran’s First Nuclear Power Plant Moves Closer to Operation Iran’s nuclear power plant at Bushehr
Iran has finished building its first nuclear power plant located south of the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr. VOA News/ Video

Bushehr Nuclear Plant Expected to Open Soon In this third segment of the series, we examine the training being imparted to those who will operate Bushehr. VOA News/ Video

Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant Adds to Proliferation Concerns In the second part of this series, we outline how Iran has finished building its first nuclear power plant located south of the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr. VOA News/ Video

Indo-US nuclear deal plays out in slow motion Although a nuclear deal between US and India is a wrap, the wheels are moving at a grinding slow pace on implementing the deal, with the
US dithering on starting negotiations for the reprocessing agreement. Times of India

Other Nuclear News

Russia ‘could drop nuclear arms’ Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has said his country could give up nuclear weapons if everyone else that had them did the same. BBC

‘Bank problems delaying Bushehr plant’ The completion of Iran’s first nuclear plant is being delayed by Russian banks refusing to work with Iran, a Russian news agency reported on Wednesday. Jerusalem Post

Canada to stop producing medical isotopes: Harper Prime Minister Stephen Harper says Canada plans to leave the production of medical isotopes to other countries — despite the fact that for a time last year, this country was producing nearly all such isotopes in the world. Canwest News Service

France to pay nuclear test compensation Nearly 40 years after the first of its 210 nuclear tests, France is preparing to compensate people affected by the fallout. The move leaves the UK isolated in its policy of rejecting liability for illnesses suffered by test participants. BBC

Company Calls New Small Nuclear Reactor a ‘Game Changer’ A major manufacturer of power-generation equipment announced plans today to build a small nuclear reactor that company officials touted as a “potential game changer for the global nuclear market.” New York Times/Greenwire

Opinion and Analysis

Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Plant Adds to Proliferation Concerns VOA News/ Video

Finished From the START Moscow Times

What If Israel Strikes Iran? WSJ

Japanese takes lead in straw poll for IAEA helm A Japanese diplomat became the clear frontrunner to take over the U.N. nuclear agency in a straw poll held on Tuesday but his margin was not enough to banish prospects of another election stalemate. Reuters

US increasingly concerned about Iranian threat: Gates The United States is increasingly concerned about recent advances in Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, US Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Tuesday. AFP

FM Lieberman: Sunni-Shi’ite Nuclear Arms Race Possible Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has warned that Iran may precipitate a nuclear arms race with its Arab, Sunni Muslim neighbors. However, the Foreign Minister believes, the international community understands the need for cooperation in handling regional threats. Israel Nation News

Other Nuclear News

Russia says expecting new North Korea missile test Russia has information on North Korean plans to launch a ballistic missile but does not know when it will take place, Interfax news agency quoted a senior Russian military source as saying on Wednesday. Reuters

Could North Korea Provoke a New Korean War? To fear a new Korean war is historically inaccurate, because, in fact, the last one never ended: The world’s most dangerous border, across which some 2 million North Korean, U.S. and South Korean troops face each other along the 38th Parallel of the Korean Peninsula is, in fact, simply an armistice line. Time

Research on depleted uranium to start Utah’s Radiation Control Board unanimously agreed Tuesday to embark on a scientific and technical exploration of depleted uranium, its radioactive nature and the impacts of banning its storage in Utah. Deseret News

Opinion and Analysis

Obama Discovers North Korea WSJ

Five Free Market Priorities for a Nuclear Energy Renaissance Heritage

Getting tough with N. Korea Chicago Tribune

North Korea Deserves the Diplomacy of Silence WSJ

Diplomats: Japanese favored in vote to lead IAEA A veteran Japanese diplomat emerged as the favorite to succeed Mohamed ElBaradei as head of the U.N nuclear agency, as most agency board member nations backed him against four other candidates in an informal poll Tuesday. AP/ Reuters/ DPA

IAEA in the News

Watchdog to Debate Fuel Bank for Nuclear Energy Under a plan that the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to begin debating next week, countries looking for nuclear fuel would be able to purchase it from an international low-enriched uranium stockpile, or “fuel bank,” that would be administered by the IAEA. foxnews.

Iran’s main nuclear plant expanding rapidly, says IAEA Iran’s main nuclear plant is expanding so rapidly that United Nations inspectors have asked Tehran for improved safeguards against the production of weapons-grade uranium. telegraph

Iranian Nuclear Expansion Complicates Monitoring, IAEA Report Says The rapid addition of uranium enrichment centrifuges at Iran’s Natanz plant has made it increasingly difficult for U.N. inspectors to ensure that the Middle Eastern state does not divert nuclear material for military use, International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed ElBaradei said Friday in a report to the agency’s 35-nation governing board globalsecuritynewswire

Other Nuclear News

Obama Shifts U.S. Stance on CTBTO Funding In its request for another international organization that has a key role in Obama’s nonproliferation policy, the State Department is asking for $65 million for the United States’ voluntary contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). armscontrol

Indonesia says to ratify nuclear treaty after US Indonesia offered a boost to President Barack Obama’s vision of a nuclear-free world, pledging to ratify a treaty banning nuclear tests if the US Senate does. afp

Nuclear fusion probe to be slimmed-down A multi-billion-dollar project to prove whether nuclear fusion can be a practicable energy source is to be scaled down in its early stages, sources said. skynews

Exelon: Nuclear Power Plant Leak Not A Big Deal Tritium Leak Stayed In Middle Of Property At Plant Near Morris, Ill. cbs2chicago

Spain Body Recommends 10-Year Nuclear Plant Extension Spain’s nuclear watchdog Monday recommended extending the operation of the Garona nuclear power plant for another 10 years, in a move that will require the Spanish government to define its policy on nuclear power. nasdaq

Amid crises, Obama builds nonproliferation team In many ways, nonproliferation is at the center of President Barack Obama’s foreign policy vision, and his nonproliferation agenda connects the dots between the thrust of his policies towards Russia, Iran, and U.S. reengagement with the international community. foreignpolicy

Opinion and Analysis

Enhanced Prospects for 2010: An Analysis of the Third PrepCom and the Outlook for the 2010 NPT Review Conference armscontrol

Obama moves the ‘red line’ on Iran atimes

Obama seeks global uranium fuel bank As part of a new strategy to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, President Obama plans to seek the creation of the first-ever international supply of uranium that would allow nations to obtain fuel for civilian nuclear reactors but limit the capacity to make bombs, according to senior administration officials. Boston Globe

Iran in major nuclear expansion, U.N. oversight harder Iran has significantly expanded uranium enrichment with almost 5,000 centrifuges now operating and this has made it harder for U.N. inspectors to keep track of the disputed nuclear activity, an IAEA report said on Friday. reuters/ la times

Iran Has Centrifuge Capacity for Nuclear Arms, Report Says A week before Iran’s presidential election, atomic inspectors reported Friday that the country has sped up its production of nuclear fuel and increased its number of installed centrifuges to 7,200 — more than enough, weapon experts said, to make fuel for up to two nuclear weapons a year, if the country decided to use its facilities for that purpose. nytimes/ scotsman

MP: ElBaradei’s Report Confirms Iran’s Compliance with NPT The report presented by the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammad ElBaradei, on Iran’s nuclear program was a confirmation of Tehran’s compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), a senior MP said on Sunday. farsnews/ farsnews

U.N. Inspectors Find Traces of Uranium at Second Site in Syria U.N. inspectors probing allegations of a clandestine nuclear program in Syria have discovered traces of uranium at a second location, fueling concerns among nuclear experts that the country was secretly planning to build nuclear weapons. washingtonpost/ BBC/ AP

Israel questions IAEA’s monitoring ability Israel’s Foreign Ministry Sunday questioned the UN nuclear watchdog’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program, and urged the international community to take determined action to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. xinhuanet

Clinton Says Strike to Follow If Iran Attacks Israel Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said a nuclear attack by Iran on Israel would be followed by retaliation against the Islamic Republic. bloomberg

Other Nuclear News

Obama warns N Korea on nuclear test The US president has said that North Korea’s leaders will not receive preferential treatment following recent missile tests. aljazeera

Steam leak in pump at quake-hit Japan reactor-Kyodo Steam leaked from part of a pump carrying water to the No. 7 nuclear reactor in the quake-hit Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant in northern Japan on Saturday, but the leak was soon fixed, Kyodo news agency said. reuters

Opinion and Analysis

Obama Intent On Engaging Iran voanews

The Rollback: Betraying Pakistan’s Nuclear Program daily.pk

US nuclear ‘treasure map for terrorists’ posted in error on government website An exhaustive list of America’s nuclear sites – including maps showing the location of fuel for nuclear weapons – has been accidentally posted on a government website, but the Obama administration denied that the leak had jeopardised national security. guardian/ AP/ AP/ usnews

Senators urge US to re-list N Korea as terror sponsor Sixteen US Republican Senators ramped up pressure on North Korea Wednesday, calling for placing the communist regime back on the US list of terror-sponsoring states. AFP

Other Nuclear News

McCain joins Obama’s call for ‘nuclear-free world’ Republican Senator John McCain on Wednesday joined his former rival President Barack Obama in calling for a nuclear-free world, a goal previously formulated by former president Ronald Reagan. AFP

Iran not interested in Bolivian uranium: Teheran envoy Iran is not interested in mining Bolivia’s uranium, and Israel talks about this only because it wants to thwart closer ties between Iran and Latin America, Teheran’s envoy to La Paz said Wednesday. AFP

Opinion and Analysis

North Korea Throws Down the Gauntlet nytimes

N proliferation: An unflinching N Korea pakobserver

Reappraising North Korea asiasentinel

Applying a Dose of ‘Reality’ koreatimes

U.S. Releases Secret List of Nuclear Sites Accidentally The federal government mistakenly made public a 266-page report, its pages marked “highly confidential,” that gives detailed information about hundreds of the nation’s civilian nuclear sites and programs, including maps showing the precise locations of stockpiles of fuel for nuclear weapons. NY Times / WP

Other Nuclear News

Pakistan’s nuclear security completely home-grown: FO Pakistan’s nuclear security is completely indigenous, and Islamabad is not getting any help from other countries in this regard, a Foreign Office spokesman said on Tuesday. Daily Times

North Korea Will Realize Need for Dialogue, U.S. Diplomats Say U.S. Special Representative on North Korea Stephen Bosworth said today the communist regime will come to realize that dialogue is in its best interests, amid reports the South is moving military assets to its sea border. Bloomberg

Sweden poised to bury nuclear waste for 100,000 yrs AFP

NKorean missiles hinder foreign nuclear assessment A flurry of missile launches after North Korea’s nuclear test last week was more than an elaborate fireworks show - it prevented foreign monitors from assessing the force and success of the isolated communist nation’s second atomic blast. Washington Post

Obama: Iran May Have Right To Nuke Energy President Barack Obama suggested that Iran may have some right to nuclear energy - provided it proves by the end of the year that its aspirations are peaceful. CBS NEWS

Sarkozy in Iran nuclear talks President Nicolas Sarkozy will on Wednesday meet Iran’s foreign minister in Paris in a move aimed at paving the way to a resumption of dialogue between six world powers and Tehran over its nuclear ambitions. FT

Minister’s secret papers left at news office The federal cabinet minister responsible for finding a replacement supply of medical isotopes after the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor will have to explain why secret documents about the nuclear industry were left at a national television bureau. The Global And Mail

We’ve got no choice but nuclear power and carbon-capture technology, says Jeffrey Sachs The economist Jeffrey Sachs said carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology and nuclear energy will be necessary to avoid catastrophic climate change. Guardian

Opinion and Analysis

PAAL: A nuclear test of China - Beijing expands limits of permitted discussion Washington Times

U.S. and Russia Push Arms-Control Talks Forward U.S. and Russian arms-control negotiators arrived in Geneva on Monday to accelerate negotiations on the first major nuclear-arms reduction treaty in at least a decade, pressing for a framework agreement ahead of a Moscow summit next month. WSJ

Iranian nuclear bomb by year’s end warning A Senior Israeli intelligence official warned yesterday that Iran will have enough enriched uranium to produce a nuclear bomb by the end of the year. irishtimes

ASEAN nuclear ambitions alarm the West As North Korea’s recent nuclear test raises tensions in Asia, ASEAN members’ nuclear programs are ringing alarm bells in the Western world already irritated by Myanmar’s military junta. thejakartapost

IAEA To Review CNSC Nuclear Regulatory Framework Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) said that a 20-member of experts from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will conduct a peer review of Canada’s nuclear regulatory regime. The Integrated Regulatory Review Service (IRRS) mission will focus on the CNSC as the federal regulator mandated by parliament to regulate the use of nuclear energy and materials in Canada. energy-business-review

IAEA Calls for Enhanced Radiation Protection of Patients Advances in medical imaging techniques are allowing doctors to detect hidden diseases and make ever more accurate diagnoses. But radiation safety experts at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) say that overuse of high-tech scanning procedures may unnecessarily expose patients to increased radiation levels. webnewswire

Other Nuclear News

U.N. Hopes to Ban New Fissionable Material, Space-Based Weapons But after almost a decade of deadlock, the United Nations Conference on Disarmament last week approved a working group to negotiate a treaty banning the production of fissionable material for nuclear weapons and another to discuss preventing an arms race in outer space. WP

U.S. warns North Korea readying 2 missile tests North Korea was preparing to launch a medium- and a long-range missile, following up on its nuclear test last week, amid moves by Kim Jong Il to anoint his third son as heir to the world’s first communist dynasty, reports and experts said Tuesday. chinapost/ Reuters

North Korea dangers lurk whatever nuclear test result The jury is still out on the size and success of North Korea’s nuclear test, but the May 25 blast could give any proliferation plans Pyongyang might have a marketing boost no matter how it measures up. Reuters

Reports: NKorea Kim’s youngest son named successor Kim Jong Il’s youngest son _ a 26-year-old who reportedly enjoys skiing and studied English, German and French at a Swiss boarding school _ was named North Korea’s next leader in an announcement to top ruling party, government and military leaders, a South Korean lawmaker and newspapers said Tuesday, WP

Opinion and Analysis

A New Red Line For Iran WP

North Korea and Diplomacy WSJ

Making Sense of North Korea Guardian

Israel Shouldn’t Sign the NPT Newsweek/WP

WHO-IAEA join to fight Cancer in Developing Countries The World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have announced the launch of a Joint Programme on Cancer Control, aimed at strengthening and accelerating efforts to fight cancer in the developing world. Pakistan Times

Diplomat: Expanded NKorea sanctions proposed Key world powers have proposed a range of expanded U.N. sanctions against North Korea in response to its recent nuclear test as well as measures to give teeth to existing bans and ship searches against the reclusive Asian nation, a U.N. diplomat said Wednesday. AP

Tests Point to Spread of Weapons Trade Signs of growth in North Korea’s nuclear program and the country’s increasing isolation are renewing fears about Pyongyang’s ability and need to smuggle weapons of mass destruction around the world, said U.S. and United Nations officials. WSJ

G8 energy ministers endorse nuclear power Energy ministers of leading industrialized countries met in Rome, Italy, at the weekend and gave greater prominence to nuclear energy than before. A special report on energy economics in the financial crisis was delivered to them. WNN

Pernicious pellets A new plastic could cut the volume of radioactive waste from power stations The Economist

Other Nuclear News

North Korea threatens attack amid escalating nuclear dispute North Korea threatened yesterday to attack the South if Seoul intercepted any of Pyongyang’s ships to check for weapons shipments - further raising tensions on the peninsula after a nuclear warhead test on Monday. FT

North Korean bomb five times stronger than in 2006 The nuclear device detonated by North Korea this week was about five times more powerful than the country’s maiden 2006 test, US seismologists said Wednesday. AFP

Nuclear Aims By Pakistan, India Prompt U.S. Concern Sometime next year, at a tightly guarded site south of its capital, Pakistan will be ready to start churning out a new stream of plutonium for its nuclear arsenal, which will eventually include warheads for ballistic missiles and cruise missiles capable of being launched from ships, submarines or aircraft. WP

Spread of Weapons Technology Is ‘Imminent Threat,’ Jones Says The unchecked spread of nuclear weapons technology to nations or groups is more of an “imminent threat” to the U.S. than North Korea’s nuclear test and its firing of five short-range missiles, the Obama administration’s National Security Adviser James Jones said. Bloomberg

Key isotope reactor down at least three months An aging Canadian nuclear reactor that produces a third of the world’s medical isotope supply is expected to be out of operation for at least three months, officials said on Wednesday. Reuters

Nuclear compensation bill falls short of expectations France’s council of ministers has discussed a compensation bill for the victims of French nuclear tests in Algeria and French Polynesia from 1960 to 1996. Associations representing sick veterans and civilians criticise the project. France24

‘Very close’ to nuclear deal with India: Day Canada is poised to sign a deal with India to sell nuclear technology and materials to the energy-starved South Asian juggernaut, International Trade Minister Stockwell Day said Wednesday. The Globe and Mail

Russia, Cuba agree to renew joint nuclear research Russia and Cuba have agreed to renew their cooperation in nuclear research with Cuba’s Nuclear Energy Agency, head of Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko said on Wednesday. Ria Novosti

Opinion and Analysis

How to Reduce the Nuclear Threat WSJ

North Korea Tests NYT

Analysis: Has North Korea reached a ‘tipping point’? CNN

They May Not Want The Bomb Newsweek

After Iraq, it’s not just North Korea that wants a bomb The Guardian

The Mantra of 20 nuclear Weapon States — Why 20? Even one more nuclear-armed nation is too much. But since the 1960s statesmen, officials and politicians have used the number 20 - as in “there may be 10 nuclear powers instead of 4, and by 1975, 15 or 20.” (President John F. Kennedy on March 12, 1963). Huffington Post

Cancer fight in developing world gets boost from joint UN initiative Two United Nations agencies are launching a joint initiative aimed at strengthening and accelerating efforts to fight cancer in developing countries, using their respective strengths in the areas of health and radiation medicine. UN News

Candidates to head nuclear agency make their case Five candidates bidding for the leadership of the International Atomic Energy Agency laid out their visions of what the U.N. organization’s role should be Tuesday at a meeting overshadowed by the North Korea’s announcement that it had exploded its second nuclear bomb. AP / AFP / DPA / NYTimes

Straw poll set for June 9 in IAEA leader race Reuters

Foreign Experts Needed to Fuel UAE N-programme Martin Croucher Experienced foreign experts may have to run the UAE’ s nuclear programme for a number of years before enough local expertise can be developed, experts say. Khaleejtimes

Other Nuclear News

North Korea Is Said to Test-Fire 3 More Missiles One day after its nuclear test drew angry and widespread condemnation, North Korea further antagonized the international community on Tuesday by test-firing three short-range missiles. NY Times

7 U.N. members agree to respond to N. Korea ‘directly and seriously’ Ambassadors of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Japan and South Korea agreed Tuesday to respond ”directly and seriously” to North Korea in a resolution they are drafting about its second nuclear test, the U.S. ambassador indicated. KYODO

N Korea threatens South over ship searches North Korea on Wednesday threatened to attack South Korea if it intercepted any of the communist nation’s ships as part of an anti-proliferation initiative, further raising tensions on the peninsula after a nuclear warhead test on Monday. FT / Khaleejtimes / The Korea Times

Former diplomat: Iran won’t stop nuclear work Short of the tremendous cost and risk of war, what would it take to get Iran to stop producing the nuclear material that one day could be used to build weapons? LATimes

Chalk River shutdown to last at least 4 months Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. is expected to announce this week that the shutdown of the nuclear reactor that makes nearly half the world’s medical isotopes will continue for at least four months, Canwest News Service has learned. CanWestNews

U.S. Finishes Removing Highly Enriched Uranium From Australia GSN

Opinion and Analysis

How to Reduce the Nuclear Threat WSJ

No Nukes Is Good Nukes: Hans Blix And The IAEA The U.S. and the United Nations now have to calibrate their reaction to North Korea’s recent missile test, while also worrying about Iran’s nuclear ambition and fears of proliferation on the subcontinent. The Takeaway (link to radio discussion with Blix)

Pyongyang’s nuke test Asahi Shimbun

IAEA Convenes To Discuss ElBaradei’s Successor The U.N. atomic watchdog gathered Tuesday for an informal meeting to question five aspirants for the agency’s top job, just a day after North Korea defied the world by staging a nuclear test. AFP

Iran rejects Western proposal for freezing its nuclear program Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad yesterday rejected a Western proposal for Tehran to “freeze” its nuclear work in return for no new sanctions, and ruled out any talks with major powers on the issue. haaretz

Report Questions Conventional Wisdom About Iranian Regime “Tehran feels vulnerable, both from outside and from within.” WP

Ahmadinejad seeks debate with Obama Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday ruled out any talks with world powers on Tehran’s nuclear drive, but said he was open to a debate with US President Barack Obama. AFP

Other Nuclear News

Seismic Readings Appear to Point to a Small Nuclear Test Initial seismic readings from the underground blast in North Korea were consistent with a relatively small nuclear test, but it will be days or weeks before the United States and international organizations can determine whether it was a nuclear detonation and how successful it might have been, experts said Monday. nyt

North Korea fires short-range missiles “The North is continuing its saber-rattling,” the unnamed official said. CNN

UN condemns North Korean nuclear test The United Nations swiftly condemned North Korea for its test of a powerful nuclear bomb, and South Korea announced Tuesday it would join a U.S.-led initiative to intercept ships suspected of spreading weapons of mass destruction. AP

South Korea Condemns NK’s 2nd Nuke Test North Korea said it conducted a second underground nuclear test “successfully” Monday, about a month after it threatened to resume nuclear and missile testing to protest the UN condemnation of its April 5 rocket launch. Koreatimes

Swiss warn US Senate investigator in nuclear probe Switzerland has warned a U.S. Senate investigator not to interview a Swiss lawyer involved in a nuclear smuggling case, a spokesman for the Swiss Justice Department said Monday. Guardian

Russian Uranium Sale to U.S. Is Planned Russia, already a large supplier of nuclear-reactor fuel to Europe and Asia, is expected on Tuesday to sign its first purely commercial contract to supply low-enriched uranium to United States utilities. nytimes

Opinion and Analysis

The Birth of an International Nuclear Fuel Bank? scitizen

Yes, North Korea is a nuclear power atimes

North Korea: what the test means guardian

Test Delivers a Message for Domestic Consumption NYT

The Waiting Game timesonline

An Early Test for Obama’s Engagement Policy WP

Arab nuclear ambitions embolden spurs nuclear renaissance huffingtonpost

Mohamed ElBaradei: "They are not Fanatics" The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency on what it’s like to negotiate with the Iranians. Newsweek/ presstv

IAEA in the News

Nuclear fuel bank plans get push as three are plans tabled Efforts by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to keep countries from acquiring nuclear technology by offering them alternatives got a boost this week as three plans for nuclear fuel banks and multinational fuel factories were tabled. DPA

Enrichment without IAEA checks mulled Japan may entrust uranium enrichment to a Russian nuclear plant not inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, sources knowledgeable about Japan-Russia relations said Sunday. japantimes

Other Nuclear News

N. Korea conducts second nuclear test following rocket launch North Korea said Monday it successfully carried out a second nuclear test to bolster the “might” of its arms, less than two months after it launched a rocket that neighbors fear could be turned into a ballistic missile capable of hitting the U.S. yonhapnews/ bloomberg/ reuters/ CNN/ reuters

US military chief says Iran closer on nuclear weapons Iran is clearly moving closer to acquiring a nuclear weapons capability but military strikes to counter the program would have serious unintended consequences, the top US military officer said Sunday. AFP

Iran ‘open’ to talks on nuclear programme Iran has told world powers including the United States it would be open to talks on its nuclear programme after the Islamic Republic’s presidential election on June 12. Reuters

Iran’s Election Turns on President’s ‘Truths’ Firefighters sprayed a fine mist over the crowd, trying to cool the cheering masses waiting in the hot sun for their candidate in Iran’s June 12 presidential election. WP

Nuclear isotopes run low after reactor shutdown There is concern in North America that hospitals will soon run out of radioactive material used to diagnose patients after a nuclear reactor was closed in Canada. BBC/Reuters

Russia signs nuclear cooperation agreement with Jordan Russia and Jordan have signed an inter-governmental agreement for cooperation in the field of peaceful use of nuclear energy neimagazine

Opinion and Analysis

Loose Nukes in New Neighborhoods: The Next Generation of Proliferation Prevention AC

They May Not Want The Bomb
And other unexpected truths. Newsweek

No Magic Bullet on Iran WP

Have We Already Lost Iran? NYT

The Test Ban Treaty NYT

The Specter of Hiroshima in an Age of “Virtual Nuclear States HNN

US nuclear accord with a Persian Gulf state raises concerns about proliferation csmonitor

IAEA floats atom fuel supply plan to ease bomb risk The U.N. nuclear watchdog has floated a plan for an international uranium fuel supply bank to stem the spread of nuclear weapons know-how, but the idea faces resistance among developing nations. Reuters

UAE reassures the world about its nuclear energy safeguards When the UAE spelt out its approach to the development of nuclear energy in its policy White Paper published in April last year, it was no accident that the bulk of the document was concerned with transparency, non-proliferation, safety and security. The National

Experts: UAE Must Store Own Nuclear Waste Radioactive waste from any nuclear power plants in the UAE will have to be stored within the country until a way of disposing of it can be found, ?experts say. Khaleej Times

Other Nuclear News

Iran Nuclear Bomb Would Be Calamitous: U.S. Military The consequences of Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon would be “calamitous” and major powers must act together to prevent it, the top U.S. military officer said on Thursday. Reuters

Ahmadinejad Criticizes Past Nuclear Freeze Iran’s hard-line president criticized as ”disgraceful” a 2003 deal his predecessor reached with Europe to freeze the country’s nuclear program, saying his own decision to stand up to the West restored Iran’s dignity. AP

Pakistan says nuclear reports are “malicious” News reports about Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, including questions about its safety, are part of a malicious campaign that is counter-productive to efforts to defeat terrorism, a Pakistani spokesman said on Thursday. Khaleej Times

India wants to move forward on nuclear deal India has assured US industry that the India-US civil nuclear deal was very high on the priority of the new government and it would very much like to move forward on it. The Times of India

U.S. keeps nuclear “don’t ask, don’t tell”: Israel aide The U.S. administration of President Barack Obama will not force Israel to state publicly whether it has nuclear weapons, an Israeli official said on Thursday. Reuters

Opinion and Analysis

To Iran, One Step at a Time NYT

The military option is dead Haaretz

Obama’s Nod to UAE Nuclear Deal Khaleej Times

Will the Nuclear Power “Renaissance” Ever Reach Critical Mass? Scientific American